 Most people who frequent Irish pubs have seen an Irish Breakfast on the menu, particularly the morning after the night before.
A typical Irish Breakfast, in the UK, will come with either white or black pudding. North American breakfast audiences often find this a bit off-putting, and so you typically will not see the meat puddings on the menu with the Irish Breakfast. You will see bacon, eggs, sausage, and sometimes potato pancakes.
The Irish Breakfast is usually served with black tea or milk. An Irish Breakfast tea consists of a blend of several black teas, leaning heavily towards the Assam variety. It is a full-bodied and strong tea that cuts the greasy taste of the Irish Breakfast nicely.
In order to serve a proper Irish Breakfast, you really want to incorporate at least one of the two proper ingredients; potato pancakes and a meat pudding. Meat puddings are called black puddings if they are made with blood and white pudding if they are made with liver. Considering the lack of penchant that most North Americans have for liver, the black pudding is suggested for the best impression and most authentic Irish experience.
The key to a good black pudding is fresh pig’s blood – if you know a local pig farmer or can get it from a butcher that would be ideal – the beef suet is available by request at most major grocery stores or definitely from a butcher.
The boxty, which is the traditional Irish name for a potato pancake, is much more palatable to most than the black pudding. This dish came from southern Ulster, north Midlands, and north Connacht. A traditional rhyme illustrates just how important boxty was in the culture:
“Boxty on the griddle,
Boxty in the pan,
If you can't make boxty,
You'll never get a man.”
We checked and we’re sure men can still make this recipe without any threat to other men beating down their doors – unless it is a roommate, in which case we can’t guarantee your safety or the safety of your boxty.
Irish Black Pudding
1 quarter pint of pig's blood
1 cup bread cut into cubes
1 quarter pint of skim milk
1 lb. cooked barley
1 lb. fresh beef suet
1 cup of oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsps. ground black pepper
2 tsp. dried mint
Directions:
- Put the bread cubes to soak in the milk in a warm oven. Do not heat the milk beyond blood temperature. Have the blood ready in a large bowl, and pour the warm milk and bread into it. Stir in the cooked barley. Grate the beef suet into the mixture and stir it up with the oatmeal. Add salt, pepper, and mint.
- Divide the mixture between two or three large roasting pans. They shouldn't be more than three-quarters full.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350F for an hour or until the pudding is well cooked through.
- Cut into squares and fry until heated through and the outside is crisp, in bacon fat or butter. It is best not to tell people what they are eating until after they have tried it, as most won’t try it if they know what it is. Use a bit of the blarney to fool them!
Boxty – Irish Potato Pancake
Ingredients:
- 1 c. flour
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup mashed potatoes
- 1 cup finely grated raw potato
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 c. milk
- 1 tbsp. butter
Directions:
- Sauté onion in butter in a skillet until the edges are slightly brown, but not burnt.
- Sift baking powder and salt into a bowl.
- When well mixed, blend in mashed cooked potatoes. Use real mashed potatoes, not instant, for the best flavour.
- Squeeze the finely grated raw potatoes in a tea towel to remove excess moisture. Add it to the bowl along with 2 eggs, well beaten, and just enough milk to make a thick batter.
- In a skillet, melt butter. Drop batter by tablespoons into pan. Press down to flatten. Cook pancakes 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve hot and with sour cream or applesauce.
ENJOY!
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